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JCB chief operating officer Mark Turner said: "This is great news for the local economy and great news for anyone seeking to work with a globally-successful business.

"We know the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and surrounding towns have people with the skills we need and, in return, they can expect excellent rewards.

A JCB backhoe loader coming off the production line

"We urgently need fabrication welding skills along with paint sprayers, and general assemblers who will be given full training.

"The opportunities are initially for agency employees, however we see them as long-term opportunities – in fact, in the first three months of 2018 we have given permanent contracts to 200 agency staff.

"That means over the past four years we have handed permanent contracts to 850 agency employees.

"The future is very bright for JCB as global demand for our machines continues to grow, which means great prospects for people who want to work with us."

JCB Telescopic Handlers on the production line at the JCB World Headquarters in Rocester (Image: Pete Summers)

The new roles pay a minimum of £10.40 per hour for Monday-to-Friday working hours, with a premium paid for shift-work opportunities.

On top of the production line jobs, JCB has vacancies for more than 100 permanent employees in other professions, including engineering, at its sites across the UK, including at Rocester.